Seeing snow

I love snow. I love the crunch under my feet. I love how it coats everything in its glittery glow. I love the way it brings the busy suburbs to a crashing halt and forces everyone to take a day off.

A good snowfall is a rarity in southern California. We might get a snow day every year or two. However, this year we haven’t even had our usual dose of winter rain. So, in our house we’ve had to resort to making our own winter fun, first with indoor snowball fights and now by making snow globes.

I tried this activity at the park today with several toddlers and preschoolers, and it was a lot of fun.

Here’s what you need:

Glass baby food jar (clean, with labels removed)

Small plastic toy (I found a selection of trees at Joann’s.)

Super glue

Glitter

Glycerin (CVS and Rite Aid make their own. Look near the lotion.)

Water

Here’s what you do:

Glue the small plastic toy to the inside of the lid, and let it dry. Add about a teaspoon of glitter to the jar. (NOTE: If you use too much, it gets clumpy.) Fill the jar halfway with glycerin. Fill it the rest of the way with water. Screw the lid back on. You might add a dollop of super glue to make sure little hands don’t unscrew the jar. Flip the whole contraption over and voila, snow globe.

We are keeping our snow globes in the kitchen. They still leak a little bit despite my best efforts. Enjoy!